Pray to God that you kill him. if he lives.. guess what. YOU go to Jail for attempted murder. You have to PROVE that your life was in danger even if he/she is in your home. If he/she was unarmed and shows no signs your life was at threat.. aka older person, fat, weaker then you, no knives etc.. BAM.. you get sued and could go to jail.

If someone is in your home your first duty is to get your family and yourself to safety and call Police.. not play HERO with a high chance of you getting shot. Think about it.. whats more important.. going down stairs and possible getting killed OR locking your family in a room and calling the Police. Humm

this isn't entirely accurate. If you're in your home and an intruder breaks in and you fear for your safety, you have every right to shoot them. However, if they are retreating (running away), you cannot shoot them, as you would no longer be considered in danger.
When I'm in my home, that is my castle (Castle Doctrine), and I will stand my ground.

Been shooting since the fall of '68 Babbie. Come on over, see if you are right or not.
Course you would have to break in first. Is that something you do for a living?
Hope no thieves know where you live, you are giving them a golden invitation with your advertising you don't have a gun or the stones to use one.

Given that people who live with guns are more likely to be shot than people who don't, I'm not sure guns are the best protection. Just an observation.

Yes, I lock doors. Some precautions are prudent, while others are not. The risks of having a gun in the home does not make them prudent things to own, in my opinion.

I also don't wear a crash helmet when walking through my home, even though I know I am far more likely to fall and die from hitting my head than I am from being shot in my own home by an intruder. But we all must make our own decisions when it comes to risks we take and personal safety.

I don't keep the spare tire in my car aired up because I'm terrified of having a flat on the road. I view having a spare as a reasonable precaution. Same thing with legally and safely carrying a firearm.

That makes sense ... for you. However, do you not recognize the statistical fact that people who own guns are far more likely to be shot than people who do not? There is a legitimate reason for people to not want to have guns in their homes, even if that isn't your choice.

Beatrice:
You have to be careful which studies you look at, because many of them include illegal acts committed with a gun. Many of those acts include gang violence, drugs, etc. So, if you buy a gun for the sole purpose of committing a crime with it, you get listed as a gun owner by the studies.

The studies I've seen indicate 4.5 to 5.5 times greater chance of being shot if you own a gun. If you are correct, then that means a lot of people are getting shot who have guns who actually intend to do harm to others.

Maybe something is wrong with the system if so many people are allowed to get their hands on guns when their motives are for the sole purpose of committing a crime.

I lock everything. I also have a security camera that's hidden near my rear walkway from the alley. A few months ago it caught a neighborhood kid at 247am. I printed off a copy and gave it to him. He hasn't been back.

bea, although I don't agree with your "gun owners are more likely to get shot" statement, let's suppose it has a smidgen of truth to it. I would then argue that the smidgen of which we speak also are the owners of other items of value, items the some would kill for to support an illegal habit. If it comes to a showdown in the farthest corner of my home I would much rather die protecting my family, myself and yes, my property than to die helplessly watching some pos do who knows what. And as someone else said, he wouldn't have to bring a weapon in with him, most homes have any number of make-do weapons at his disposal. Those are also at my disposal. I just happen to know where the better ones are stashed.

You have that right to ownership. I also have the right not to own. However, please don't kid yourself that anyone not armed will just be "helplessly watching" if their home is invaded.

I also have no doubt that there are thousands of parents out there with children accidentally killed by guns who wish they had never brought one into their home in the first place. To those parents, I bet they wished that they had never brought a gun into the home as they helplessly watch their child's coffin being lowered into the ground.

Which makes me wonder, how many children are killed in home invasions when the homeowners did not own a gun compared to the number of children killed in gun accidents in homes with guns? I honestly do not have the answer. Do you?

And to be fair, using terms like "helplessly watching" to describe someone without a gun is the type of thing that drives others to use terms like "gun nut." Respect runs both ways.

R_I: Great idea. I've got a couple of those. I'll hang one near the bed, which is probably a good idea anyway. I don't worry much about somebody walking into my house because of a thermonuclear-paranoid/pms/bitch lab retriever which growls at flies.